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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/25/2024 08:47 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=37855
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: November 30, 2022 09:10 PM
From: Representative Christopher M. Rabb
To: All House members
Subject: Establishing the Keystone Reconstruction Authority
 
§ 1. Inherent rights of mankind.
 
All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing and protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happiness.
 
According to our own state constitution, it is clear that the constitutional rights of an entire people have been limited, if not wholly denied based on the policies and inaction of their own state government for centuries.
 
We must provide redress for our commonwealth’s complicity in institutional efforts to degrade the humanity and opportunity of Pennsylvanians of African descent.
 
To that end, this forthcoming legislation will:
  1. Codify contrition for the complicity of Pennsylvania’s three branches of government for its treatment of people of African descent during and after slavery whose gradual abolition began in 1780;
  2. Create an authority to support and conduct research on the racial disparities caused by past and current state laws and court rulings. In addition to studying the impact of statutes, legal decisions, practices and programs, the authority will, when requested, produce racial impact statements detailing the effect of prospective legislation; and,
  3. Recognize that there must be significant financial redress to African American residents of Pennsylvania.
The authority will determine a methodology to quantify the financial impact of past and current laws, court decisions, government programs and practices that have so acutely disadvantaged African Americans in Pennsylvania. 
 
The scope and structure of such payments, in the form of direct compensation, eligibility for participation in the program, and the necessary documentation will also be determined by the authority.
 
Please join me in supporting this bold, novel initiative to embrace just reinvestment toward repairing our beloved commonwealth for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians.